Last fall I was asked by Ursula of Home Made by Carmona to participate in a series with some other ladies about the in’s and out’s of newbie blogging. I thought it sounded like a fun way to show what goes into blogging with my own readers and share some of the things I learned through my past careers in PR, branding, and marketing.
I started reading blogs after I had my son and became a stay at home mom, about 4 1/2 years ago. They became my nap time escape and a chance to feel like I was getting some adult interaction during the day. Along with the connection I felt with these women, they inspired me to make more and be creative in ways I had not been before. I was hooked, and a little voice kept telling me I should give it a go. I had blogged when I lived in New York, but being a single girl in the city, I mainly blogged about my experiences in the fashion industry and had no one to pull me away from the computer because they needed their diaper changed or their hands wiped.
This time around I was afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of the time it would take, afraid I wouldn’t be good enough. So I continued to read blogs and create. As I learned new skills, I would say “if I were to start a blog, this would come in handy.” I did lots of research and planning and finally, over 3 years later, I took the leap and have never felt more fulfilled. I thought I would share some of my initial thoughts with you today (I have so many, but I tried to stick to a few), and on Friday I’ll be back with a link party of great resources for those of you interested in taking the first steps. (Many of the sources will be great for anyone, not just bloggers. I’ll include some of my favorite photography sites, and many topics pertaining to small business and social media will be covered as well.) Here are some things to ponder if you’re thinking of starting a blog, or if you feel like your blog is stuck in a rut:
1. If your to-do list for the day was complete at this moment, what would you do this afternoon?
Ok, other than take a nap, what would you enjoy doing? Chances are, what you tend to do in your spare time is what you are truly passionate about. Figure out what it is that you love, and what you think others might enjoy hearing about and be invigorated by. I believe wholeheartedly we are all given gifts to share with others, and once we’ve found those talents, using them to inspire someone else is a really fulfilling thing. Before I started blogging, I was already decorating our home, putting together parties and making invitations. The wonderful world of blogging is simply giving me an outlet to share those passions with others without having to leave my home.
2. What is your end goal in this and who do you want your readers to be?
Are you wanting to document your children’s milestones for distant family and friends? Journal? Are you hoping to grow a readership and create a following? Would you like to be someone people turn to for advice and inspiration? Do you hope to monetize your blog and possibly turn blogging into a career? All of these scenarios are great reasons to blog, you just need to figure out what your goals are.
3. At the end of the day, it’s all about give and take.
This is a big one, and it’s true of anything in life: in order to add something, another area must suffer. I knew that taking on a blog would be time consuming, and I found it important to discuss it with my husband first. It’s been about 7 months since I started this blog, and in those 7 months the cleanliness of our house, my sleep and often dinner has suffered because of it. But it has allowed me to bring in some extra money for our family and pursue my passions while still being able to stay home with my kids. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, read on.
4. Research, Research, Research
It’s important to be yourself, but it’s also a good idea to get a feel for what is out there and what you like and don’t like about other blogs. Are you drawn to the photography? A style of writing? Do you prefer a site that is clean and just about the content, or one that gives you lots of eye candy and things to click on? Discovering what you like about other blogs will help you determine what you want for your own. For me, I’m always drawn to pretty pictures, so I knew photography would be an important component to my blog. Friday’s link up of resources will be a great tool to help you further in how-to’s of starting a blog.
5. You are a brand.
If you hope to create a business out of it, monetizing and collaborating with others, you need to consider yourself and your blog a brand. Think long and hard about what you want your brand to be and say and then stick with that across the board. Keeping things consistent is crucial and starting from the get go with the image you want to portray is important. While part of me wishes I would have started blogging a long time ago, part of me is glad I waited. In that time I was able to hone my photography skills and really determine what my vision was for The Makerista. As a brand, you want all of your sounding boards to feel cohesive and YOU. Which leads me to social media.
6. Social media is just as crucial.
Social media is like free advertising. You can have the most beautiful blog with incredible content, but if no one knows it’s there…well that can be a very frustrating thing. It is important to have a presence on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, to name the big ones, and also crucial to be active on those channels. Following people you admire and leaving meaningful comments on what they post can lead to other’s discovery of you and what you are doing. It can be time consuming and a rabbit hole, but if you set aside specific times during the day to log on, it can be productive and not a time suck from other areas of your life (I think blogger or not, we’re all guilty of browsing Facebook while we should be cooking dinner or playing with our kids).
I’m really looking forward to seeing what the other ladies have in store for the rest of the week. You can check out Aniko from Place of My Taste tomorrow, and here is a list of the other participants.
I’ll be back tomorrow with details on the kid’s new space. I’ll leave you with some of my personal confessions, we’ll be sharing more through Facebook and Twitter on Friday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door says
Great tips Gwen. Very well said! Great series.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks lady!
angietrue says
Wow! This couldnt come at a better time for me. I love to read blogs but they seem so hard to try, but I told myself I would try it this year. Thanx for this post will follow.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Angie. I hope you give it a go, it's certainly worth a shot! Thanks for reading!
Trisha Wray says
Really great advice!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Trisha!
thistlewoodfarm says
can I just tell you…..seriously….with extra sprinkles on top…..
…..i love your blog.
the branding. seriously.
the message and incredibly thought provoking writing. amazing.
the truth spoken from the heart. love.
so honored and blessed to be working with you this week.
karianne
themakerista@gmail.com says
Karianne,
Thank you so much for the lovely comment. It made my day! It means a lot coming from a seasoned blogger such as yourself. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Thursday!
Summer Hogan says
I love your blog and thanks for doing this series! I started my blog in August so all of this is still very helpful for me. I am loving blogging though and I am excited for the resources you guys are sharing because I am always looking for more knowledge and ideas. Thanks again! Summer http://www.simplestylings.com
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Summer! Looking forward to taking a peek at your blog now. Have a great week!
Aniko@PlaceOfMyTaste says
Gwen,absolutely loved reading your post!True and great advice! Have a fantastic night!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks, Aniko! Looking forward to popping over and seeing what you're sharing today!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says
Very well written, Gwen. Great advice!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks, Jennifer!
amy says
What an excellent post! I just found you and am so excited to see everyone's newbie blogger posts. I'll be coming up to a year in May… I'm completely in love with DIY blogging. Can't wait to see what else you post about!
Amy @ http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks for reading, Amy! I appreciate your kind words, have a great week!
Jennifer BNHblog says
Good tips! It sounds like there was a lot of percolating and planning before you launched your blog. It's inspiring to see how we all got started and comforting to know how much of ourselves we all pour into our blogs.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks, Jennifer! I do think it can be fun to hear more about the process for others and sort of "behind the content." Hope you had a great weekend!
Ursula Carmona says
What you said about photography as eye candy really resonates with me… I'm very visual, and I have to say your blog makes me swoon every time! 🙂 Gorgeous photography, and seriously hot style…you can come over and work on my house any day of the week.
Lovely working with you!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks, Ursula! Looking forward to seeing what you have to share!
Shavonda@AHomeFullOfColor says
Loved this post Gwen. There are so many great points here, especially when it comes to branding. I think that's so important when and if you decide to transition your blog into a business. Ive struggled with this a lot and I think im finally getting a handle on things. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks, lady! It is a big leap, isn't it?
Bethany DeVore says
Great advice, thanks for sharing!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Bethany!
Rachel Paxton says
Thanks so much for sharing, Gwen! I love your approach, and I'm so glad I got to work alongside you this week. Take care!
Rachel
themakerista@gmail.com says
Such a pleasure getting to know you this week, Rachel! Have a lovely weekend!
Anonymous says
I do not have a blog… yet !I Read a lot of great blogs, and I enjoy them very much!. They are very inspirational to me and I feel very happy when I read them. I really look forward during the day when I take my little break for coffee to sit down and start reading! Just need a little bit of confidence in myself to give it a go. Thank you so much for the advice.My e-mail gigicrolla@gmail.com
themakerista@gmail.com says
I can definitely relate to where you are at right now! That was certainly me. Thank you for reading and I encourage you to take the leap when you feel the urge…it's very fulfilling!
Allison Chapman says
Stumbled upon this post and could not have come at a better time! I am new to the whole blogging world, and I'm absolutely loving it, but your first point reminded me I should just blog about what I am passionate about. Thanks for the advice and boost of confidence!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much for commenting, Allison! It can be pretty overwhelming, can't it? And easy to get caught up in all of the details. I'm glad I could help refresh you a bit.
Hope you have a lovely week!
www.mysoulfulhome.com says
Hey Gwen..great series…found it through Emily Clark & my pal Karianne. Just celebrated my first year blogging & I am hooked…such a HUGE learning curve! Like your style, looking forward to connecting on something sometime! See u around…:) Kelly
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much, Kelly! Congrats on a year! I remember when I first started blogging thinking how long a year seemed…how would I have that much to write about?!? Ha.
Thanks for stopping over and hope you have a great week!
South on Broadway says
This is a great post. I have been blogging for 2 years and still struggle a bit with where I want to see things go. Thanks for the reminders!
– Jaime
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks so much for reading, Jaime!
Lisa latreille-latreille Design Interiors says
Hello Gwen,
What a great post, thank you for your tips. I too am new to the blog world having only just started up towards the end of last year. I had no idea what the heck I was doing…….& just discovered a few little things today as I was playing around with my blog. I had to laugh at your comment on knowing when you are a blogger! For Christmas I got myself a camera as I too love a beautiful image & just new that I needed beautiful images to put on my blog. Ever since my camera came I've Been obsessed with taking blog worthy images & I see everything thru my new blog eyes! Take care, Lisa from latreilledesign.blogspot.com.au
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Lisa! It can all be so overwhelming, can't it? Have a great weekend!
Teresa says
Thank you for posting this…I've been blogging since 2005 mainly for my family….I am always looking for way to make my blog better….I need to find someone to take photography lesson from… =)
Sometimes in the blog world I feel a little alone…I'm in my late 50's and wonder if what I have to say really matters to anyone who is in the blog world. but I keep on going…my blog is my journal. I plan to follow along to pick up tips here and there…Thank you
themakerista@gmail.com says
Teresa,
I couldn't seem to find your blog through your blogger profile, it just listed other blogs you follow, but based on your picture (you're a beautiful woman with some great style) I'm sure your blog is lovely!
Yes pictures can make your blog. I think you definitely have something to say. I don't know, obviously, but with age comes a lot more to share! I'm sure you have perspective and wisdom that I would love to know. Don't sell yourself short, Teresa!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
ROK says
Great post. I finally started a blog after reading them since I was studying for the bar exam back in 2007, and I'm trying to refine it and get some additional tech skills (it makes me feel old!). These were really helpful tips for refining your blog's voice (and a good nudge for social media). I'm impressed you have only been at it for 7 months–this looks amazing!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thanks for reading and your kind words!
willowinteriors says
Gwen, I just found your blog with this awesome post! I just started blogging and you've certainly given me a lot to think about! Thanks!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Glad it was helpful and thanks for reading!
Hannah Smith says
This is a great post. I am new to the blogging world so this will come in handy! You are a "super mom". Keep it up!
Thanks,
Hannah
themakerista@gmail.com says
You're sweet, thanks Hannnah, and best of luck!
corkandcotton.com says
This has been extremely insightful! Thank you for sharing these thoughts, I am a new blogger and to be honest I am a little bit intimidated, this post is definitely handy. P.S. your blog is amazing!
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